Velocipede.



R. B. ROBINSON.

VELOGIPEDB.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17. 190s.

Patente Dec. 8, 1908.` n

Wl TNESSES.- v [NVE/V701?.

R. B. ROBINSON. VELOGIPBDE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.17, 1908.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908. l

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enr sfrATEs PATENT OEEIOE.

ROBERT lROBINSON, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

VELOGIPEDE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

Application led January 17, 1908. Serial No. 411,361.

This invention relates to drive gearing for I vehicles of the type particularly designed to be manually-propelled, but which may also be motor-propelled, such as velocipedes, bicycles and tricycles, the main obj ect of the invention being to provide a drive gearing whereby high speed may be secured, an which is simple of construction, durable and efficient in operation, and of a compact character.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a velocipede embodying` my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on an enlarged scale through the wheel hub and frame and the parts of the drive gearing.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the frame of a velocipede or other similar vehicle, upon the rear portion 2 of which is mounted a seat 3, the said rear portion being forked to support the axle 4 carrying the rear wheels 5. The front portion 6 of the frame is pivotally connected with the rear portion 2 in any suitable manner, as shown at 6, and upon said portion 6 is mounted the front propelling and steering wheel 7 and the handle bars 7a, through the medium of which latter such front frame portion and the wheel 7 may be turned in one direction or the other for steering the vehicle. The lower portion of the frame section 6 is divided to form a fork, the arms 8 and 9 of which are disposed in parallel relation and provided at their lower ends with openings 10 for the reception of the ends of a crank hanger tube 11.

crank hanger and is relatively shorter than the same. On one end of the hanger is an annular shoulder 13 which bears against the inner side of the arm 8, and such end of the hanger is externally threaded to receive a clamping ring 14, whereby the shoulder 13 is drawn against the arm 3 and the end of the The hub 12 of the wheel 7 i is loosely mounted for rotation upon the hanger clamped to the arm. The inner face 'of the shoulder 13 is beveled to form a cone,

while the adjacent end of the hub 12 is formed to provide a cup 15 in which is disposed a series of bearing balls 16 which turn in contact with said cone. The opposite end of the hub 12 is formed to provide a cup 17 in which is a series of bearing balls 18 turning in contact with a removable cone ring or washer 19, said balls being retained in theA cup by the frame arm 9. A cap 20 closes the end ofthe hanger adjacent'the bearings 18 and bears upon the outer surface of the arm 9, which retains the hub 12 from endwise movement in that direction. It will be seen from the foregoing description that upon removing the cap 20 and the ring 14 the hanger may be withdrawn longitudinally through the opening in the arm 9, thus permitting convenient disassemblage of the parts of the front wheel, the bearings and the drive gearing, as hereinafter described, when the driving shaft is detached.

Extending through the hanger 11 is the crank or driving shaft 21 having angular end portions 22 upon which pedal cranks 23 are iitted and keyed or otherwise secured. The respective ends of the shaft are threaded, as indicated at 24 and 25, the threaded portion 24 receiving the threaded hub 26 of a sprocket wheel 27 vand a nut 28 to secure the same in position, the inner face of the hub 26 forming a cone, between which and the adjacent cupshaped end of the hanger is arranged a series of bearing balls 29. The opposite end of the hanger is cupped to receive bearing balls 3() confined in position by a retainer 31, held in place by the cap 20, which in turn is clamped by a nut 32 upon the threaded portion of the shaft. The cranks are detachably keyed or otherwise secured upon the ends of the shaft and provided with edals of any preferred construction, and from the construction described it will be apparent by reference to Fig. 3 that the movable parts are adapted to have free acbushing 34 mounted upon the frame arm 3- above the hanger 11, said sleeve or bushing being externally threaded to receive threaded clamping rings 35 bearing against opposite sides of the arm to clamp the bushing rmlythereto, thearm being -formed with a transverse opening through which the 4bushing extends. One .endlQf 4:the tshaft 33 ,is threaded, as at 35,'for the reception of a threaded hub 36 of a sprocket pinion 37, which sprocket pinion is in the form of a toothed .ring threaded-on the headandconnected by a sprocket chain 38 with ,the gear 27 on the crank shaft 21. The hub 36 is secured in position by a threadedclamping ring 39 and bears -at its 'innersideagainst a cone 40, formed on the shaft 33 between which and the adjacent end of the bushing 34 turnsa series of bearingballs .41 arranged in a raceway formed inthe'bushing. The opposite -or inner end of the sha'ft 33 ,is threaded, as at 42, to receive the hub 43ofa sprocket wheel 44, which is connected witha sprocket rim 4'5 on the wheel hub 1 2 bya chain 46. The hub 43 `is secured upon the shaft throughthe medium ofahollow nut 47, which clamps .said `hub against a retaining ring 48 carried by the shaft, between which ring and the adjacent end of the bushing 'is disposed a series ofbearingballs V4 9, turning in a raceway formed by the gretaining ring and a cavity or recess in the bushing -It will be apparent from the foregoing description that ,when motion is communicated to the crank shaft 2'1 through the pedal cranks 23, the shaft 33 will bedriven through the chain connection SS'between thegear and pinion 37, and that in turn motion will be communicated from the shaft .33 to Vthe wheel 7 through the medium of the gear 44, pinion and connecting drive chain 46. Hence power will 'betransmitted on direct lines on opposite sides vof the frame arm 8 from the crank shaft to the Wheel hub, the construction and arrangement of the gearing multi l in the s eed sothatthe wheel will PY g P be revolved at a much more rapid rate than :the`sha'ft, .thus permitting high speed to be secured with a comparatively slow motiolh of the pedal cranks. It will be seen thatlthe gearing through which this result is secured is-comparatively simple of construction and `so lI lflrountedxns .to secure strength and durability, and that it is also compact and adapted to secure ease of motion through the reductonoffriction toa minimumdegree.

Having thus fully described the invention, what-is claimed as newis A vehicle embodying a frame having a lforked portion -providing supporting arms,

onehavllg anopenfing therein, a hanger eX- tendinglbetween andcarried by said arms, a crank shaft journaled in the hanger, a propelling wheel having its hub .revolubly mounted upon the hanger between the arms, a removable bearing sleeve or bushing .extending transversely through the said opening in one of the Sup orting arms above the hanger and'beyond t e opposite sides of said arm, threaded clamping rings engaging the oppositely projecting ends of vthe bushing and bearing against ythe opposite sides or' said arm to clamp said bushing, sprocket wheels on the crank shaft and countershaft o n the outer side of said supporting arm, sprocket Wheels on the hub and countershaft onthe inner sideofsaid arm, andchains connecting :the 'inner and'outer sets of sprocket wheels.

jlntestimony whereof I affix my signature i presenceof twowitnesses.

'ROBERT B. ROBNSON. Witnesses:

C. LANDERS, JAMES HOWARD. 

